Advisers

Michael L. Bersamin, LPT

Discipline

Psychology

Abstract

Friendship applications had become widely used among college students to facilitate peer connections and relationship development; however, their influence on face-to-face social interaction remained uncertain. This study examined their effects on first-year college students’ face-to-face social interaction. A descriptive-correlational design was employed involving 63 first-year students selected through purposive disproportionate stratified sampling. Data were collected using a self-developed demographic questionnaire and a standardized instrument measuring attitudes toward friendship applications and face-to-face social interaction. Descriptive statistics and Spearman rank-order correlation were used for analysis. Most respondents were aged 18–21 years (90%), and 51% were male. Nearly half (46%) used friendship applications for one to three hours daily, with Litmatch, Yubo, and Wizz as the most common platforms. Students demonstrated positive attitudes toward the applications, particularly in perceived ease of use (Rs = 0.54, p <.001) and usefulness (Rs = 0.33, p =.01). A significant positive relationship was found between attitudes and face-to-face interaction (Rs =.42, p =.001). Findings suggested that friendship applications did not negatively affect face-to-face social interaction and may have complemented offline relationships when used responsibly.

Keywords

College Students, Technology Acceptance, Friendship Applications, Face-to-Face Social Interaction, Social Behavior